


kvas kisses

by kirsongs



Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Drunken Kissing, F/F, also its incredibly funny to me that kvas in gv is alcoholic when regular kvass isnt but whatever, blame tiff for hooking me on this ship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27015085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirsongs/pseuds/kirsongs
Summary: it's the night before nikolai lantsov is to be married, and both the women in his life are dreading the morning. nothing a little alcohol can't fix, right?for grishatober day 11.
Relationships: Zoya Nazyalensky/Ehri Kir-Taban
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12
Collections: GRISHATOBER 2020





	1. Chapter 1

Ehri didn't like much about Ravka, but she had to admit they sure did know how to make alcohol. A bottle of kvas was all a lonely girl in a foreign land needed to feel at home, and you learned to ignore the sour taste on your tongue after a while. God, why did everything here have to be so . . . pickled? Was that the right word? She wasn't sure. Gods, what she'd give for something sweet. Better yet, something from home. Shu Han beat Ravka in the food department, that was for sure. And it was a miracle that any of Ravka's Grisha stayed with them, with what they were feeding them. Herring and rye? Who would actively enjoy that?

Well, she could at least guess why they stayed. Zoya Nazyalensky, their golden general, all raven hair and lightning and scary looks. She didn't seem to really like anyone, but oh did the Grisha like her. They practically swooned over her. It made sense, at least. She had to give this to Zoya - she was absolutely gorgeous. With her long dark hair and stunning blue eyes, Ehri was astounded that she'd stayed single. She must have high standards. That, or the whispers of the servants were true, and she _was_ embroiled in an affair with Nikolai. Well, that would serve to explain why she'd been so prickly so far. Genya had been more than happy to engage in all the wedding planning, but Zoya had barely said a word, even though Tamar had confided in her that the alliance with the Shu had been her idea.

The Shu girl and her brother had been kind to Ehri, but she knew their real loyalties lay with Nikolai and Ravka, despite their ancestry. The only real ally she had left in Os Atla was Mayu, but she'd barely seen the other girl since their plan had been discovered. Nikolai said that Mayu was still recovering from her own attempt on her life, but Ehri had a sneaking suspicion that this wasn't the case. Surely, Ravka's Healers would have been able to fix her by now. It stung a little, to know that Nikolai was likely keeping them apart on purpose, but really, what had she expected from him? He never put her first, even after a plethora of public appearances as a couple, abandoning her shortly after to go to more meetings or spend time in secret with the Triumvirate. She'd protested, of course, but nobody had seemed to listen. The Bataar _keb_ and Genya had given her regretful looks, but Nikolai still kept his distance, despite what Ehri assumed was nudging from his Triumvirate.

And perhaps it was better that they hadn't connected. Ehri was free to make all sorts of assumptions about him, and her resentment had only grown. He wouldn't get the complacent wife the Ravkan court expected her to be, she'd make sure of that. Although she wasn't sure he even liked docile women in the first place, considering his relationships with the saint Alina Starkov, and the rumors of him and Zoya. Maybe he'd pay more attention to her if she publicly defied the country, or suddenly developed fantastical powers, although she knew the latter would never happen. She'd tried desperately in her youth to feel any connection to the elements, to the heart, but never succeeded. She knew her punishment would be severe, but as a child, she'd wanted nothing more than to be unique from her sisters, to stand out, to have something wholly her own. 

She'd developed her music from that yearning, forming calloused fingers and a sharp ear, teaching herself to play a variety of instruments, Shu and otherwise. She'd even worked on her voice, although she kept it mostly to herself. Her mother had called it once "the most beautiful thing about you", and ever since Ehri had been hesitant to share. Something about those words made her heart beg her to keep it secret. Even here, she'd kept it to herself. She'd asked Nikolai for her instruments, and he'd obliged, but never once had he asked her to play for him. Although she supposed there would be plenty of time to do so in their lifetime together. Their _lifetime_ together. The words still rang hollow in her ears, and her heart refused to accept it. She was certain he felt the same way. They each had eyes for another, yet neither had uttered a word to the other confiding to it. Perhaps that was the curse of raising royalty. She'd spoken her mind about their forced engagement whenever she could catch a moment alone with him, but had never admitted her secret about Mayu, nor had he admitted Alina or Zoya to her, although anyone with any emotional intelligence - or connections in the palace staff - could tell. Their staged kisses at public events were exactly that - staged - and she was sure they both felt the falseness between them. 

Tomorrow would be the longest they'd gone being in public together, and the thought exhausted Ehri. The ceremony she could get through, but she'd been schooled by Genya on what was to come, the hours of greeting dignitaries and nobles, not to mention all the dancing at the reception. "It could even run to midnight," Genya had sighed wistfully, but Ehri had groaned. The facades were bound to crack by then, and she knew the Shu delegation would be watching her especially closely, wanting her to appear every bit the beaming, gracious bride. They hadn't wanted this, but if they had to accept it, they didn't want her to embarrass them. 

At least she'd be wearing the Shu colors. Nikolai's noble advisors had attempted to make her appear purely as a Ravkan, in a traditional white dress and kokoshnik tiara, but she and Genya had argued that she should wear emerald, as befitted a Shu bride. It was the least they could do for her. So they'd compromised, her dress in the Rakvan style, but colored in a fading green, the train tapering down to dark. It was beautiful, but Ehri could barely look at it without a sense of revulsion filling her stomach. Although tonight that just might be in part to the alcohol she'd consumed. Her engagement ring lay next to the bottle on the table beside her and her eyes fixated on the smooth wood, trancing off into the distance. She'd wait for the rest of her glass to kick in, then watch for the dreaded sunrise signaling morning in a haze.

Moments into her reverie, however, a knock sounded at the door, and Ehri groaned. Great. A visitor was just what she needed, and especially like this. Knowing her luck, it was probably Nikolai. Tightening her deep red dressing gown around her, she rose to answer the door, bare feet padding across the cold floor, a shiver running up her spine. It was fall coming into winter, and already it was verging on the edge of snow, or at least it felt like it was. 

Her fingers curled around the handle, pulling the ornate, carved door open a crack, peering out at the figure beyond. Her long, dark hair hung thick and curled past her shoulders, electric blue eyes gazing down at Ehri framed by onyx lashes. She wore her kefta, deep blue embroidered in silver and lined with thick fur, tailored to fit her shape. Ehri couldn't help but stare, both in shock and in awe. Gods, Zoya was pretty when she wasn't actively being mean. Well, she was pretty then, too, but it was different, more . . . animalistic, almost. Tiger-like. Violent.

"Are you going to invite me in or just stand there?" She tapped a booted toe with impatience, staring the shorter girl down. 

Ehri opened the door farther, Zoya brushing past her in a breeze. It was then Ehri noticed the bottle in the other girl's hand. It looked like they'd had similar ideas for how to spend their night.

"Not feeling romantic tonight, huh?" Zoya observed, striding over to the small table where Ehri had been sitting, gesturing to her abandoned ring. Shit.

"Since when have I ever?" Ehri remarked with a hint of snide, the words tumbling from her lips before she could get a handle on them. What game was Zoya playing at? Two could be rude, especially when Zoya was intruding on her space in the first place.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he's not feeling it tonight, either," the Grisha replied, waving a hand as if to dismiss the thought. "Nikolai's a romantic, but-"

"But not when he's marrying me, right?" Ehri took a step closer to Zoya, who was busy examining her bookcases. "Just because you know what he's like when he's romantic doesn't mean I do. You don't need to rub it in."

"What are you talking about?" Zoya turned on a heel, facing the princess, the fingers of her free hand twitching. "You don't know anything about me, and it's quite rude to make assumptions based on gossip, princess." The last word came out a hiss, and Ehri could have sworn her ears popped.

"I'm just saying, it's pretty clear that he's in love with you." It was probably the alcohol talking, but Ehri found that her boldness stayed with her, taking a step closer to the other girl. "When he kisses me, it's abundantly obvious he's not into me. He's pretty bad at faking it, actually." A chuckle loosed from her lips, and she felt the hints of a smile appearing on her face.

"Well, you're not so good at that either." Zoya leveled a finger at Ehri, the bottle still gripped in her hand. Wine, not kvas. Damn, how'd she get the good stuff?

"I don't know what you mean." She was pretty sure she knew what she meant. Mayu. She'd been so careful, though, hadn't breathed a word to anyone.

"The guard girl. The one we thought was you."

Ehri tried to hide the panic on her face, keeping her lips frozen in a hint of a smile. "Clearly you've been misinformed."

"I don't think I have, though." Her blue eyes seemed to almost flash silver for a moment, but Ehri was sure it was just a trick of the light. Right? The squaller took another step toward Ehri, heel clicking on the stone floor. She pursed her lips, tilting her head slightly to study the shorter girl. "It's okay, you can tell me. I'm very good at keeping secrets."

"Sure, I might think she's pretty, but that doesn't mean-" What was she saying! Never in the course of the night had she imagined she'd be spilling her soul out to Zoya Nazyalensky, but here she was, making an absolute fool of herself anyway.

"Do you think _I'm_ pretty?"

What?

"I don't think you need the ego boost, Zoya. Gods know it's big enough already." She turned away, moving back toward the door. Was it too much to ask to want to spend the rest of this stupid night in peace?

She took two steps toward the door before Zoya caught her arm, fingers closing around her wrist. She jerked her hand from her grip, whirling back around. 

"I'm not asking for my ego." 

"Then wha-" The words faltered as Zoya closed the distance between them, forcing Ehri to back up to the wall to keep the space. Her back pressed against the smooth stone as the Grisha girl leaned down, cupping Ehri's chin in her palm, forcing her gaze upwards to meet her blue eyes.

"You're not that stupid, are you, Taban?"

And with that, her lips were on Ehri's, soft and smooth and utterly different from Nikolai's, filled with a fire that Ehri had grown used to being burnt out. And despite the protestations of her mind, Ehri melted into it, bringing her hands up from her sides, one sliding into Zoya's hair and the other cupping her neck, drawing her closer. It was nothing like she'd ever been kissed before, new and nearly crackling with energy, but it was a welcome change, so utterly contrast to the cardboard kisses she'd received over the past few months, all purely for show. This was just for them, that was clear. 

"Why?" Ehri breathed, pulling away for a moment of air, hands still keeping Zoya close, chest heaving. 

"The same reason we're drinking." The shattered remains of Zoya's bottle lay on the floor near them, the red liquid seeping into one of the ornate rugs. She must have dropped it, but Ehri didn't remember hearing a shatter. "We're both losing people tomorrow. Why not dull the pain?" Her fingers worked at the fastenings of her kefta, pulling it off her shoulders and letting it fall to the floor as she moved back in, confidence painting her smile. 

Ehri barely had time to register this change before their lips connected again, hungrier this time, as if making up for the time they'd lost. There was a drive in Zoya's kiss, but Ehri couldn't place why. And she wasn't sure she wanted to know, either, sighing against the general as Zoya moved to lift Ehri up against her, pinning her back against the wall and evening their heights. Ehri's legs wrapped around Zoya, a laugh bubbling against her lips. She was vaguely aware that her dressing gown had loosened, a breath of chilled air on her exposed shoulders, but made no move to fix it. It wasn't like she'd be showing any skin tomorrow, so why not show some now? Sure, Nikolai would probably hate her even more if she admitted to this, but he never had to find out. After all, Zoya _had_ said she was very good at keeping secrets, and Ehri was inclined to trust her. At least for this.


	2. wine regrets

Even with the most beautiful woman in Os Alta laying next to her, Ehri still couldn't keep her mind off other people.

Although Zoya had promised to keep their rendezvous - is that what they were going to call it? - quiet, it had become abundantly clear in the last hour or so that she wouldn't have to say a word for Ehri's trespass to still be discovered. They'd been passionate, careless, and, it seemed, a little too aggressive in the rush of the moment, of hands and mouths and wine, bodies colliding as they both fought to forget. And while Ehri couldn't complain about the moment, she could certainly be worried about what was sure to happen after. She was sure to have marks, she knew that, and although the high neck of her dress - thank you, conservative Ravkan church - would help to disguise that, they had three other major problems. 

One: getting Zoya out of here without any rumors, not even a whisper. Two: hiding any evidence of this from the maidservants who would come to dress her in the morning, especially Genya, who had been ordered to "brighten her up for the big day", and who would absolutely tell Nikolai. Three: hiding it from Nikolai himself. Although the king had stressed to her repeatedly that he wouldn't make her do anything against her will, they were still expected to spend the night together. And Zoya hadn't been exactly careful about what she'd left behind.

So, she really only had three options. One, use makeup on her own to try and fix it, knowing Genya would still probably notice. Two, beg Genya for her help, and her discretion, and pray to both the gods and the saints that she agreed. Three, run far, far away from here. Well, there was technically a fourth option, but Ehri couldn't imagine it going very well if she told Nikolai directly. He already didn't seem to like her, and if found out that she'd slept with his General, Ehri was pretty sure that he'd never talk to her again. Nothing like totally doomed a marriage on the first day, right?

"What time is it?"

"Don't worry, we're good." Zoya flashed her a sly grin, cheeks darkened with just a hint of flush. "We've got plenty of time until morning."

Ehri opened her mouth to reply, but was silenced by a kiss, long and deep, the barest taste of salt on Zoya's lips. And for a moment, Ehri sunk back into it, lips parting, her mind only on the other girl. But as Zoya moved back down to her jaw and neck, Ehri was acutely reminded of why she'd been so distracted in the first place.

"Zoya", she gasped, pulling away to sit up, bringing the sheets up and around her, the sudden need for modesty accompanying the worry. "We have to stop. You have to go."

"Why?" The sly smile still sat on Zoya's lips as she cocked her head, seemingly not as concerned with modesty as the princess. "I, for one, was having an excellent time."

Ehri could feel her cheeks grow hot, a blush undoubtedly forming.

"What about Nikolai?" Oh gods, that came out wrong. "I mean, I'm-"

"I think Nikolai's pretty little blonde head would explode if he saw us like this," Zoya replied, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as casually as she would as if this were a council meeting, face devoid of concern. There was mirth in her eyes and in her smile, which Ehri hadn't minded fifteen minutes ago, but now it was worrying her even more. 

"That's not what I meant."

"Is it? Because I could go get him right now, if you're into that." She arched a brow, lips continuing to curl upward. 

"This isn't funny, Zoya." With her hand not holding the covers, she hit her on a bare arm, frowning. Wow, her arm was hard. 

All the other girl did was laugh.

"It is, though. Funny." With no response from Ehri but a furrowed frown, she continued. "It's the middle of the night, we're both probably half drunk, we're pretty much only doing this as a distraction, and you're getting married tomorrow in front of multiple delegations of foreign dignitaries to someone who isn't sharing your bed tonight. I'd say that's pretty funny."

"I could be killed for this!"

"And?"

"Zoya!" Ehri hit her again, harder this time.

"If you want me to go, princess, all you have to do is ask." She still bore the traces of a smile as she moved up from the bed, bare feet padding across the floor to where she'd discarded her kefta, a trail of clothing leading to the door. Pulling her undershirt back on, she reached down and tossed Ehri's dressing gown back toward her, a small puff of air sending it shooting across the room. 

Pulling it back on around herself, Ehri rose, red silk swishing around her, treading lightly across the cool floor to where Zoya was fastening her kefta, making sure to take careful steps around the glass that had shattered from Zoya's bottle. The last thing she needed right now was an open, bloody foot.

"It's not that I want you to go, but-"

"I know." Zoya turned her gaze back up toward Ehri, her kefta hanging half-open, revealing the white garments beneath it. "I'll tell Genya to come extra early, as a favor for me."

"Thank you." The words came out with a breath, faint but full of relief. 

"Promise me one thing, though, princess."

"Anything." And she nearly meant it.

"Think of me when you kiss him tomorrow." And with that, her hand brushed the doorknob, turning it deftly and revealing the candlelight of the hall beyond. Still facing Ehri, she stepped through, that sneaky smile still painting her pristine face. Before Ehri could say anything, or step forward to kiss her again - oh, how she wanted to feel that smile against hers - the door closed, thick, ancient wood shuddering shut, leaving the room back washed in dim light, and Ehri alone once more.


End file.
